


Non-Denominational Miracle

by butyoumight



Category: Kamen Rider Gaim
Genre: Gen, ending speculation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-12
Updated: 2014-03-12
Packaged: 2018-01-15 12:18:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1304653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/butyoumight/pseuds/butyoumight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A potential end for Sengoku Ryouma.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Non-Denominational Miracle

**Author's Note:**

> Just some speculation about a potential way Ryouma could end up redeeming himself at the last minute. Not in any way likely.

Things were getting out of hand. The forest was becoming active, properly active, not just in its attacks on Zawame, but inside the dimension itself. More Inves than Takatora had ever seen before, he couldn't imagine where they were coming from. Maybe they were spontaneously duplicating themselves, or there was some Crack opening elsewhere in the world, feeding Helheim a steady diet of small mammals to bend to its will.

He didn't know, he couldn't know, and the one person who might be able to tell him was in here, somewhere, and Takatora needed to find him.

Serendipity, that was what they called it. Losing his Energy Lockseed to Kazuraba Kouta, and the destruction of the Genesis Driver. It was potentially dangerous, returning to the Sengoku Driver, but it was his only option, and it was now serving him in good stead, as the shield that the Melon Lockseed brought with it was proving much more useful than the bow would. 

He would be insane to enter Helheim without some form of armor, now. 

A loop of root seemed to rise from the ground specifically to trip Takatora up, and he had to turn his stumble into a roll. He came up on one knee, shield up, free hand to the ground, and he felt a familiar shape beneath his palm. 

He grasped at it, standing up and backing into a blessed clearing, giving him a moment of breathing room.

In his hand, among the biological refuse of the forest floor, was precisely what he thought he had grabbed- just the body of the Lemon Energy Lockseed, with only a splintered stump remaining of the locking arm, the front hanging open as though torn from the activated Driver. 

"Ryouma..." He was trying to speak the name aloud but it came out a choked and, admittedly, frightened gasp. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, let his resolve flow through him, then lifted his head and shouted. "Ryouma!"

He didn't relax, but he did start moving when he heard a distinctively non-Inves sounding response, diving back into the forest. 

The bright red of the parts and pieces of the Genesis Driver were very noticeable against the shades of green. Takatora's spine felt as though it was tightening with every piece of hardware he noticed. 

"Ryouma?"

"Takatora..." He could almost hear the snarking laugh in the response this time, though the punctuating groan of pain kept him from letting his guard down. He turned sharply, scanning the foliage, then he caught it, a glimpse of too-stark white against the vines.

"Ryouma!"

He moved towards the anomaly, then fell to his knees, tearing at the creeping vines and fruits, tearing them away from where Ryouma sat against the base of a tree. Ryouma let a small smile pass across his lips, and Takatora felt briefly ill at the smear of red across his lips. “You’re a fool to come after me, but I’m glad you did.”

Takatora brought his hand to the Driver, to close the Lockseed, but Ryouma reached for him jerkily, grabbing his wrist. "Don't. It's not safe." 

Takatora mentally shook himself. Ryouma was right, of course. He was panicking, and he had no time for such frivolity. Ryouma released him, leaving bloody smears on the white armor. 

"Ryouma, what happened?"

"He is so much your brother, Takatora." Ryouma whispered softly, then dropped his head. A sharp wet coughing fit later, and he looked up again, the red around his lips darker, a terrible stain left on the shoulder of his coat. "He's gone mad. That Kumon Kaito... Too dangerous. I should have kept a closer eye on him..." He coughed again, and his nose wrinkled up. "Terrible. I am to blame, your brother can't be held responsible for taking his grief out on me." 

"Mitsuzane did this?" Takatora demanded softly, grasping Ryouma's shoulder. Ryouma's eyes were growing glassy. "Nevermind. This is too dangerous. I'll get you out."

"Don't." Ryouma breathed. "Don't bother."

Takatora shook his head, but Ryouma clawed at the hem of his own shirt, lifting it inch by inch until Takatora could see the enormous wound across his abdomen, and worse than that, the tell-tale speckles of green blooming to life in the depths of the cut. 

"I'm reaping what I've sown, Takatora. After all I've done to you... How I've been plotting behind your back... Don't you dare mourn for me. I deserve this..." His eyes almost seemed to flash, and he reached for Takatora's wrist again, grasping firmly. "Your brother doesn't." 

He shifted his grip, turning Takatora’s hand palm-up. His other hand delved into the inside pocket of his coat, drawing out some small object that he placed almost reverently into Takatora’s hand before closing Takatora’s fingers around it.

“Save him, Takatora. Stop him before you have to kill him.” 

“Ryouma, I…”

“Go.”

“I can't just leave you here...” 

“You can, and you-” Ryouma choked again, dropping his head to cough another red stain across the front of his shirt. Both hands dropped to his stomach, cupping the flowering vine that was starting to seek its way between the buttons. 

He lifted his gaze to Takatora, but his eyes were obviously past the point of being able to see. “Ryouma...” He placed his free hand on Ryouma's cheek briefly, then swallowed all the guilt and anger that was rushing for the surface and stood up.

Ryouma opened his mouth again, but his whisper of “Go,” was muffled by the leaves that had started to spill from his mouth.

Takatora went.

 

Outside of Helheim once more, safely in his office, he finally allowed himself to examine the object Ryouma had placed in his hand at the last moment. 

A Lockseed, but not one Takatora had ever seen before. It looked like one of the regular ones, one of the ones harvested directly from Helheim. The designation on the front identified it as L.S.-XX. 

It was an apple.

_”Stop him before you have to kill him.”_


End file.
